"Instead of another postponement, the U.N. Security Council should extend the peacekeeping mandate that runs out on Feb. 15 for at least two years and give the authority to its Special Representative in Haiti to take over international conduct of the election's final stages if that is necessary. The United States, Canada or France should provide additional helicopters to ease election logistics and rapid reaction forces -- to reinforce the existing troops and police and to add a stronger security cordon for the voting centers and electoral network." Mark Schneider, senior vice president of the International Crisis Group in Washington, was the second returned Volunteer (El Salvador, 1966–68) to head the agency.

"Getting To Elections And Beyond" Mark Schneider in the Miami Herald 16 January 2006 Miami Herald

The tragic death of the Brazilian commander of U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti recently adds another somber chapter to a Haitian transition in deep trouble. Too many are looking for someone to blame, when solutions are needed.

Lt. Gen. Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar's reported suicide came the night before the fourth postponed date for Haiti's national parliamentary and presidential elections. The political, logistical, financial and security impediments that required successive postponements of the elections originally scheduled for Nov. 6 are still weeks away from resolution. Now Feb. 7 has been announced as the new date for the first round of parliamentary and presidential elections, and hopefully, it will stick.

The frequent refusal of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and the Transitional Government of Haiti to take the technical advice of the United Nations stalled the electoral law, the electoral calendar, selection of candidates, registration and financing of parties. The CEP barely acceded to a competent director general in October. Constant delays now mean a $60 million budget will not even cover local elections.

The international community has to ask itself why it did not jettison the once-reasonable goal of having 'local Haitian ownership' of the process when the sad inability of the Haitian provisional institutions to do the job became apparent. The halfway measures dragged the process through multiple postponements and eroded the credibility of nearly everyone involved.

The Organization of American States succeeded in registering 3.5 million voters and promised them a 21st century ID card, but it was late in getting started and late in getting the cards produced and shipped to Haiti, partially because the CEP delayed its decision on the number of voting centers.

Security remains a major problem. The U.N. peacekeeping mission is blamed for a lack of security in Port-au-Prince that no one can ignore. While it clearly has not undertaken the disarmament and demobilization of ex-Haitian military rebels or urban armed gangs, the latter responsible for a wave of kidnappings and killings, the fault truly goes back to the U.S.-led multinational force that did not finish the job after the departure of former President Aristide.

Handed a half-secure Haiti, U.N. peacekeepers have been unable to shut down the criminal gangs, drug traffickers and politically linked violent forces. The vicious circle of extreme poverty, lack of jobs, governance or education has produced too many young men desperate to do virtually anything -- including kidnapping or killing -- to survive. The United Nations' limited success also is in part because its military and police forces are few (9400, less than half the number in Kosovo, with a Haitian population more than four times the size of Kosovo) and in part because the mandate was restricted to 'support' a tainted Haitian National Police rather than being responsible themselves for law and order.

'Lavalas-lite' potential

A few among the Haitian political elite now even want to delay elections because they don't like the opinion polls that show former President René Preval, now heading a Lavalas off-shoot, leading all other candidates. They had formed a civic movement to oust Lavalas President Aristide after his administration was linked to corruption and violence. Now they see the possibility of a post-election 'Lavalas-lite' government, and suddenly a democratic election seems less important to them.

Instead of another postponement, the U.N. Security Council should extend the peacekeeping mandate that runs out on Feb. 15 for at least two years and give the authority to its Special Representative in Haiti to take over international conduct of the election's final stages if that is necessary. The United States, Canada or France should provide additional helicopters to ease election logistics and rapid reaction forces -- to reinforce the existing troops and police and to add a stronger security cordon for the voting centers and electoral network.

Everyone in the international community should be planning for the period after the elections by helping construct a platform of national dialogue and reconciliation for the next Haitian parliament and president to govern together. On issues like jobs, drinking water, infrastructure, schools and health, an initial national agenda should be prepared and made ready. Haiti cannot wait. Haiti cannot be abandoned. And peacekeeping cannot be done on the cheap.

Mark L. Schneider is senior vice president of the International Crisis Group and former director of the Peace Corps.

When this story was posted in January 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in dangerWhen the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

PC establishes awards for top VolunteersGaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9.

Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 yearsCongratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

'Celebration of Service' a major successThe Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident"The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

The Peace Corps LibraryPeace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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Story Source: International Crisis Group

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Directors - Schneider; COS - Haiti

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